One week after Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown bluntly called "passing" the area the Eagles offense needed to improve on, Philadelphia recorded one of its best passing performances of the season in a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After a week of rumored tension between Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts, which both players shut down before Sunday's game, the duo set a clear message early when Brown caught a first-quarter touchdown pass from Hurts and celebrated the touchdown pass together.
“That was our moment to tell everyone to shut up,” Brown said after the victory.
This TD celly from Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TN2CRihTqJ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 15, 2024
Facing a top-10 ranked Steelers defense, Hurts threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns. This was the second-most passing yards Hurts had thrown for in a game this season and came after Hurts threw for fewer than 180 yards in the Eagles' three previous games.
Brown was a primary benefactor of the increased volume in the passing game, catching eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. DeVonta Smith added 11 catches for 109 yards and another touchdown.
The Eagles rank fifth from last in the NFL in passing yards per game, averaging only 187 yards each week through the air. That's the same range as teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers. All four of those teams have dealt with quarterback changes or injuries during the season, and none have nearly as potent a trio as Hurts, Brown, and Smith. After posting nearly 300 yards through the air on Sunday, and getting back on track, Brown believed the criticism of the passing offense did lead to improved production in Sunday's game.
“Absolutely. I said it for a reason," Brown said, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I didn’t have ill intentions behind it. It wasn’t for me to get the ball. It was just for us to all get on the same page and put our best foot forward. We know what we’re capable of, and last week wasn't our standard.
#Eagles WR A.J. Brow was asked if he felt what he said last week helped the passing game get better:
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 16, 2024
“Absolutely. I said it for a reason. I didn’t have ill intentions behind it. It wasn’t for me to get the ball. It was just for us to all get on the same page and and put our best…
the “It’s just crazy, though, because everybody in locker room said the same thing and I kind of got crucified for it. But it was cool.”
Brown's initial comments following the Eagles' narrow win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 14 became magnified when defensive lineman Brandon Graham implied there was an issue in Brown and Hurts's relationship on Sports Radio 94 WIP.
“I don't know the whole story, but I know that 1 (Jalen Hurts) is trying and 11 (Brown) could be a little better with how he responds to things,” Graham said. “They was friends before this. But things have changed, and I understand that because life happens.”
Graham later apologized for his comments, and both Hurts and Brown maintained that they were all "good."
Here's what Brandon Graham said on 94WIP this morning after making comments about the relationship between A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts last night: pic.twitter.com/jPDBaNzWAA
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) December 10, 2024
"B.G. was just being B.G.," Brown said of Graham. "He's emotional. In that case, he just misspoke. Me and Jalen are good. So, it's B.G. Everybody loves B.G. He's speaking from the heart. He's speaking from his perception, from the outside."
Hurts told reporters in the week leading up to the game: "we're good."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as A.J. Brown Says His Criticism of Eagles' Offense Helped Passing Attack Bounce Back.
